This year’s Mary Peters Trust annual Athletes’ Academy held at Belfast Harbour Commissioners, celebrated the success of 208 young and talented sports people across more than 50 different sports who have each received a Mary Peters Trust funding award during 2026.
The Trust, founded by its President Lady Mary Peters, has been helping young athletes reach the next level for over five decades and year on year provides support to an ever-increasing number of athletes many of whom go on to represent Team GB and Team Ireland at National, European, international and Olympic competition level.
A significant proportion of Northern Ireland’s 65 strong team at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow were supported by the Mary Peters Trust demonstrating the important role the Trust plays in helping talented athletes progress and reach their potential. Team NI went on to accrue 16 medals – three golds, four silvers and nine bronze with 84% of the medallists funded by the Mary Peters Trust.
Guests of honour at the Academy event were para swimmer Barry McClements, track & field athlete Rachel McCann and young darts star Christian Ennis who have been Mary Peters Trust funding award recipients. They chatted to UTV presenter Ruth Gorman about their successes and challenges across their sporting careers.
400m sprinter Rachel McCann has competed in European Indoor Championships, world relays and World Championships individually and as part of a 4x400m relay team. The Bangor athlete is the current Irish National Champion and was a member of the Irish Women’s 4x400m panel at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Barry McClements was first funded by the Trust back in 2017 and went on to win medals at the 2022 and 2026 Commonwealth Games.
The Newtownards swimmer took the silver medal in the S9 100m backstroke at this year’s Glasgow Commonwealths finishing behind Australia’s Timothy Hodge, one better than his bronze in the same competition at the Birmingham games in 2022.
At only 16 years of age Christian Ennis – nicknamed ‘Turbo’ is already a darts sensation. Christian took up darts only two years ago and has already chalked up a huge number of trophies and hopes to make a career in the sport.
In August, following the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, Communities Minister Gordon Lyons announced a new £200,000 four-year investment, jointly funded by the Department for Communities and Sport NI, to support the Mary Peters Trust Athlete Investment Programme. The investment will help talented and emerging athletes access important training and competition opportunities, supporting their progression through the performance pathway and towards success at the highest levels of sport.
Minister Lyons detailed that the investment is being delivered in partnership with the Mary Peters Trust and Sport NI and will contribute to the Trust’s wider athlete funding, supporting both current and future cohorts of talented athletes.
Athletes are nominated for a Trust funding award and then selected following a rigorous process and each receive financial and general support to help them navigate and succeed in their sporting careers and ultimately achieve their individual goals.
The 2026 MPT awards were presented by Lady Mary Peters and athletes were joined by parents and family members as well as coaches, sport liaison officers and MPT Board Directors.
The athletes event also celebrated a fourth year of the David Magill Coaching Awards. Set up by The Magill Family alongside the Mary Peters Trust, this programme was established in memory of Belfast pole-vaulter, businessman and hotelier David Magill.
These coach specific funding awards enable young sports people to move forward in their sporting career and embark on relevant coaching courses to help other up and coming athletes.
Congratulating the athletes and thanking everyone for coming along, Lady Mary Peters says, “Our academies are very special occasions where Mary Peters Trust athletes can celebrate their sporting successes this year and meet lots of other likeminded athletes also aiming for key future goals.
“We love hearing about each and every one of our athletes’ attainments, but also their individual challenges and how they can be overcome.
“It’s also a pleasure to have two of our alumni Barry and Rachel on stage describing their sporting journeys with Ruth Gorman. Both Barry and Rachel are truly inspirational.
“We would also like to thank Joan, Denise and Joanne Magill for their wonderful support by establishing the David Magill Awards in memory of a much-loved husband and father. This awards programme has already enabled so many young sports people to learn and further improve their coaching skills and give back to their individual sports and help develop the next generation of athletes.”
Communities Minister Gordon Lyons said, “Lady Mary Peters has inspired generations of athletes and remains one of Team NI’s greatest ambassadors, and I was very proud in August to announce a £200,000 investment delivered through the Mary Peters Trust and Sport NI.
“The 2026 Academy event celebrates all that is good about Sport in Northern Ireland recognising achievements and supporting future sporting ambition.
“Working together we can make a real positive difference and help back the next generation of athletes.”
